Predictors of enhancing human physical attractiveness: Data from 93 countries

People across the world and throughout history have gone to great lengths to enhance their physical appearance. Evolutionary psychologists and ethologists have largely attempted to explain this phenomenon via mating preferences and strategies. Here, we test one of the most popular evolutionary hypotheses for beauty-enhancing behaviors, drawn from mating market and parasite stress perspectives, in a large cross-cultural sample. We also test hypotheses drawn from other influential and non-mutually exclusive theoretical frameworks, from biosocial role theory to a cultural media perspective. Survey data from 93,158 human participants across 93 countries provide evidence that behaviors such as applying makeup or using other cosmetics, hair grooming, clothing style, caring for body hygiene, and exercising or following a specific diet for the specific purpose of improving one physical attractiveness, are universal. Indeed, 99% of participants reported spending >10 min a day performing beauty-enhancing behaviors. The results largely support evolutionary hypotheses: more time was spent enhancing beauty by women (almost 4 h a day, on average) than by men (3.6 h a day), by the youngest participants (and contrary to predictions, also the oldest), by those with a relatively more severe history of infectious diseases, and by participants currently dating compared to those in established relationships. The strongest predictor of attractiveness-enhancing behaviors was social media usage. Other predictors, in order of effect size, included adhering to traditional gender roles, residing in countries with less gender equality, considering oneself as highly attractive or, conversely, highly unattractive, TV watching time, higher socioeconomic status, right-wing political beliefs, a lower level of education, and personal individualistic attitudes. This study provides novel insight into universal beauty-enhancing behaviors by unifying evolutionary theory with several other complementary perspectives.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Seismic resistance of traditional timber-frame hımış

Hımış structures have hardly ever found as extensive a role as other traditional timber housing, such as those originating from Japan or Central Europe, within the wide discourse on the seismic performance of timber-frame architecture that has gained significant momentum in the last few decades owing to advancing testing technologies. While the hımış construction technique was perhaps not born as a result of a conscious search for a seismically resistant building form, it was soon widely appreciated for its structural features advantageous under seismic loading - especially from the sixteenth century when it has become a well-established construction technique in part of the Balkans and in today’s Turkey. Despite widely available anecdotal information based on post-disaster studies regarding its performance under earthquakes, robust quantitative data on the seismic behaviour of these structures were practically non-existent until quite recently, and are still somewhat limited. However, we are now able to confirm that hımış constructions do have intrinsic qualities that are very beneficial under seismic action. This paper aims to make a brief review of the current state of our knowledge on structural performance of hımış buildings under earthquake loading, with specific emphasis on infill/cladding techniques, connection details and energy dissipation characteristics

Exploring Attitudes Toward “Sugar Relationships” Across 87 Countries: A Global Perspective on Exchanges of Resources for Sex and Companionship

The current study investigates attitudes toward one form of sex for resources: the so-called sugar relationships, which often involve exchanges of resources for sex and/or companionship. The present study examined associations among attitudes toward sugar relationships and relevant variables (e.g., sex, sociosexuality, gender inequality, parasitic exposure) in 69,924 participants across 87 countries. Two self-report measures of Acceptance of Sugar Relationships (ASR) developed for younger companion providers (ASR-YWMS) and older resource providers (ASR-OMWS) were translated into 37 languages. We tested cross-sex and cross-linguistic construct equivalence, cross-cultural invariance in sex differences, and the importance of the hypothetical predictors of ASR. Both measures showed adequate psychometric properties in all languages (except the Persian version of ASR-YWMS). Results partially supported our hypotheses and were consistent with previous theoretical considerations and empirical evidence on human mating. For example, at the individual level, sociosexual orientation, traditional gender roles, and pathogen prevalence were significant predictors of both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS. At the country level, gender inequality and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. However, being a woman negatively predicted the ASR-OMWS, but positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. At country-level, ingroup favoritism and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-OMWS. Furthermore, significant cross-subregional differences were found in the openness to sugar relationships (both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS scores) across subregions. Finally, significant differences were found between ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS when compared in each subregion. The ASR-YWMS was significantly higher than the ASR-OMWS in all subregions, except for Northern Africa and Western Asia

Validation of the Short Version (TLS-15) of the Triangular Love Scale (TLS-45) Across 37 Languages

Love is a phenomenon that occurs across the world and affects many aspects of human life, including the choice of, and process of bonding with, a romantic partner. Thus, developing a reliable and valid measure of love experiences is crucial. One of the most popular tools to quantify love is Sternberg’s 45-item Triangular Love Scale (TLS-45), which measures three love components: intimacy, passion, and commitment. However, our literature review reveals that most studies (64%) use a broad variety of shortened versions of the TLS-45. Here, aiming to achieve scientific consensus and improve the reliability, comparability, and generalizability of results across studies, we developed a short version of the scale—the TLS-15—comprised of 15 items with 5-point, rather than 9-point, response scales. In Study 1 (N = 7,332), we re-analyzed secondary data from a large-scale multinational study that validated the original TLS-45 to establish whether the scale could be truncated. In Study 2 (N = 307), we provided evidence for the three-factor structure of the TLS-15 and its reliability. Study 3 (N = 413) confirmed convergent validity and test–retest stability of the TLS-15. Study 4 (N = 60,311) presented a large-scale validation across 37 linguistic versions of the TLS-15 on a cross-cultural sample spanning every continent of the globe. The overall results provide support for the reliability, validity, and cross-cultural invariance of the TLS-15, which can be used as a measure of love components—either separately or jointly as a three-factor measure

Exploring Attitudes Toward “Sugar Relationships” Across 87 Countries: A Global Perspective on Exchanges of Resources for Sex and Companionship

The current study investigates attitudes toward one form of sex for resources: the so-called sugar relationships, which often involve exchanges of resources for sex and/or companionship. The present study examined associations among attitudes toward sugar relationships and relevant variables (e.g., sex, sociosexuality, gender inequality, parasitic exposure) in 69,924 participants across 87 countries. Two self-report measures of Acceptance of Sugar Relationships (ASR) developed for younger companion providers (ASR-YWMS) and older resource providers (ASR-OMWS) were translated into 37 languages. We tested cross-sex and cross-linguistic construct equivalence, cross-cultural invariance in sex differences, and the importance of the hypothetical predictors of ASR. Both measures showed adequate psychometric properties in all languages (except the Persian version of ASR-YWMS). Results partially supported our hypotheses and were consistent with previous theoretical considerations and empirical evidence on human mating. For example, at the individual level, sociosexual orientation, traditional gender roles, and pathogen prevalence were significant predictors of both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS. At the country level, gender inequality and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. However, being a woman negatively predicted the ASR-OMWS, but positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. At country-level, ingroup favoritism and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-OMWS. Furthermore, significant cross-subregional differences were found in the openness to sugar relationships (both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS scores) across subregions. Finally, significant differences were found between ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS when compared in each subregion. The ASR-YWMS was significantly higher than the ASR-OMWS in all subregions, except for Northern Africa and Western Asia

Demirtas' early renal vascular control technique (DERVACT): A novel technique for open partial nephrectomy

© 2022 Ondokuz Mayis Universitesi. All rights reserved."Demirtas' Early Renal Vascular Control Technique (DERVACT)" is a novel technique for renal pedicle control that aims to achieve rapid and direct access to the renal artery through the retroperitoneal space and then the superior-dorso-lateral aspect of the kidney. In this study, we aimed to introduce DERVACT and to present the initial outcomes of this technique. This retrospective-observational study compared two groups of patients that were operatively treated by the same surgical team using two different nephron sparing surgery (NSS) procedures. Group I (n=95) underwent standard open NSS and Group II (n=92) underwent open NSS with the DERVACT between Jan 2015 and July 2020. Mean age was 56.42 ± 13.27 years. No significant difference was found between the two groups with regard to age, gender, Body mass index, mass laterality and size, and the Padua and c-index scores (p=0.087, p=0.354, p=0.642, p=0.957, p=0.200, p=0.101, p=0.361, respectively). Similarly, no significant difference was found between the DERVACT group and the other group with regard to ischemia duration (20.0 [15.0-30.0] min vs. 18.5 [11.0- 27.0] min, respectively, p=0.060) and intraoperative vascular complication rate (6.3% vs. 1.1%, respectively. p=0.059). However, non-ischemic operative time was significantly shorter in the DERVACT group than in the standard partial nephrectomy group (64.0 [50.0-75.0] vs. 84.0 [61.0- 105.0], p<0.001). As a conclusion, DERVACT is a simple, time-saving, and safe procedure for NSS that can be used in clinics with no opportunities for robotic-laparoscopic partial nephrectomy or in open partial nephrectomy

TL/OSL studies of Li2B4O7:Cu dosimetric phosphors

Dosimetric phosphors of Cu-doped lithium tetraborate (Li2B 4O7:Cu) were produced using a sintering technique in a laboratory environment and characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Diffractometry (XRD). The thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) properties of powdered (Li2B 4O7) phosphor doped with copper at different concentrations (0.020-0.025 wt %) were studied. The Cu-doped Li 2B4O7 phosphor material has two dominant TL glow peaks, and the maximum TL responses of the peaks are at 115 C and 243 C in the range of 0 C-310 C. The TL response of the Cu-doped lithium tetraborate is approximately 900 times more sensitive than undoped lithium tetraborate. The TL and OSL signal intensities increase as the beta radiation doses increase up to approximately 150.00 Gy and 76.50 Gy, respectively. The OSL dose-response curve is linear up to a dose range of 12.00 Gy for Cu-doped Li2B 4O7 dosimetric phosphors. The time-dependent fading behavior of the Cu-doped lithium tetraborate was found to be quite stable over long time durations. In addition, the repeatability of the OSL dose measurements were determined to be 2/3 lower compared to the TL measurements. The reproducibility of the OSL measurements was approximately 5%. Based on the TL and OSL results, the prepared phosphors can be used to measure beta doses ranging from 10 μGy to 150.00 Gy and 76.50 Gy, respectively, by using the TL and OSL techniques, with confidence limits of approximately 7% and 3-4%, respectively. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved